Patient Testimonials
Brian Riley and Lorrie Buoymaster
Down a combined 454 pounds!
Brian Riley and Lorrie Buoymaster of Altoona decided to take a weight loss journey as a couple so they could enjoy being active and spending time with their
grandchildren.
Jill McHugh - "I lost 135 pounds!'
Mary Jane Sherman
"It's life changing, but you have to put your mind to it."
Mary Jane Sherman is one of Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center's Weight Management patients who could not be happier with her results. She wishes she would have taken the necessary steps for effective weight management a long time ago, but is glad for the help she found at Conemaugh.
"They were upfront with everything that I would need to help me. There are wonderful people. I had a support system of nurses, my surgeon, Dr. D'Arcy Duke, and my nutritionist."
When she started the program in February 2015, Mary Jane weighed 458 pounds. She was starting to have some trouble with some of her favorite activities including swimming and camping, but more importantly, she was losing time with her family. "I couldn't go dancing anymore, my knees hurt. After weight loss surgery, I was able to have my knees replaced. I wanted to be able to dance at my son's wedding. I danced every dance there," Mary Jane said with pride. She says, too, that keeping up with her niece and nephew, Aubrey and Jordan, was one of her biggest inspirations to losing weight.
After losing 243 pounds, one of Mary Jane's favorite parts of this lifestyle change has been the clothes. "I can wear different styles of clothes now. A lot of stores didn't have my size, so it's a good feeling now to wear what I want or be able to get something new for any occasion." Her changes have been contagious, too. "My husband, Ed, actually followed the nutrition recommendations and lifestyle changes with me," Mary Jane said.
With the care and help of Conemaugh's Weight Management Team, Mary Jane is healthier and looking forward to even more time with her family.